Origin: Central to South America, Caribbeanl
(2)The original range is not known, but today it grows wild from Florida
through the West Indies and from Mexico through tropical South America
(Howard, R.A. 1989. Flora of the Lesser Antilles, Leeward and Windward
Islands. Vol. 5. Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University, Jamaica Plain, MA.
604 p.). It has naturalized in most tropical areas of the world (Burkill,
H.M. 1994. The useful plants of West Tropical Africa. Vol. 2. Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew, UK. 636 p.).

p.23 "Bellyache bush is an opportunistic coloniser of
disturbed sites. It can form pure stands in open areas where the natural
vegetation has been damaged or removed by cattle, man (e.g. following road
construction or dwelling construction) or floodwaters. At hundreds of sites
in northern Australia, it has become abundant along roadsides, around
abandoned homesteads and near old mine sites. Like many weeds, colonisation
by bellyache bush is probably an indicator of significant exogenous or
endogenous disturbance."

http://www.nrm.qld.gov.au/pests/psas/pdfs/Bellyache.pdf

3.03

(2) AB: "Weeds are a serious problem in this region during
both the establishment of pastures and their productive period, causing
serious reduction in growth, vigour, productivity and persistence. The
biology and weed ecology of Cassia alata, Digitaria insularis, Jatropha
gossypifolia, Mimosa spp., Sida spp., Solanum mauritianum and Solanum torvum
are briefly described and detailed recommendations are given for the control
of these weeds."
(2) "The species is considered an agricultural weed but can be suppressed by
common weed-control practices."

p.21 "As far as the author is aware, there has not been any
research on the plant’s environmental impact. However, Smith (1995) and
Csurhes and Edwards (1998) have listed the plant as an environmental weed.
Smith (1995) commented that native bees (Trigona spp.) are attracted to the
plant’s sticky leaves and stems but did not say whether they are harmed. Of
particular concern is the plant’s impact within riparian habitats where it
appears to be in direct competition with native plants in the early stages
of successional development, perhaps replacing native colonisers and
delaying or preventing subsequent invasion by secondary species of native
shrubs and trees." [speculation; evidence seems to suggest mainly a
disturbance weed]]

http://www.nrm.qld.gov.au/pests/psas/pdfs/Bellyache.pdf

3.05

(1)Jatropha gladulifera is listed as "present" in India but
no evidence that it is an economic weed (2)Jatropha curcas is listed as a
noxious weed of Australia

p.19 "In 1995, however, stock losses in the order of some
312 animals were attributed to bellyache bush in the Dalrymple shire of
north Queensland. This figure involved 35 separate reports of stock losses;
11 reports received by P. Jeffrey from the Queensland Department of Natural
Resources and Mines and 24 reports by J. Fry, Stock Inspector, Queensland
Department of Primary Industries. In total, 15 goats, 7 horses and some 290
cattle were reported to have died after consuming bellyache bush. "

http://www.nrm.qld.gov.au/pests/psas/pdfs/Bellyache.pdf

4.06

(1) This site lists 12 fungi to be associated with J.
gossypifolia. [One species, Colletotrichum capsici, is the casual agent of
chili fruit rot]

AB: "Jatropha tanjorensis , a species found abundantly in
the Tanjore, Pudukottai, Trichirapalli and Ramnad districts of Tamil Nadu
state, India, and grown as a fence plant, showed intermediacy in phenotypic
characters of J. curcas and J. gossypifolia . A detailed survey at its place
of occurrence supplemented with data employed from cytological and
peroxidase isoenzyme studies revealed that J. tanjorensis is a natural
interspecific hybrid between these two species. "

The plant flowers every 2 months throughout the year,
producing small flowers that secrete nectar which attracts many insects. In
areas where the plant is cultivated, the main pollinator is the stingless
bee Plebeia mosquito. Trigona spinipes also contributes to pollination.

p.25 "Flowering has been observed to occur in plants that
are only 4-6 weeks old and 15-30 cm tall (J. Vitelli, pers. comm. 1998),
however, most plants start to flower at about two years of age (APB Infonote
1994)."

http://www.nrm.qld.gov.au/pests/psas/pdfs/Bellyache.pdf

7.01

Probably not - no evidence that the propagules have any
means of attachment.

(1) Probably not - seed relatively large. 'Seeds dark gray
with black specks and mottled grayish and brown, 5.5-7.3 cm long.'
(2) p.24 "Ashley (1995) and Smith (1995) stated that seeds are also
dispersed in mud on the hooves of cattle and on vehicles and machinery.
However, several weed control officers in Queensland have questioned the
likelihood of this form of dispersal. Since seeds are relatively heavy and
lack hooks or sticky secretions, dispersal as a component of small amounts
of mud is unlikely to represent a significant mode of spread. Having said
this, the plant is certainly spread when seeds contaminate topsoil used for
lawns and gardens." [spread through sale of lawn and garden topsoil]

(1) p.5 "Most seeds fall close to the parent plants.
However, if the plant is growing close to waterways, flowing water can
disperse the plant's pods."
(2) "The seed pods float when green, and crack open when mature to
distribute the seeds."
(3) The pods of bellyache bush can float, thereby facilitating long-distance
dispersal of seeds along watercourses and onto flood plains.

p.24 "Birds are reported to feed on the seeds of bellyache
bush in Western Australia (APB Infonote 1994) but it is not known to what
extent this occurs in Queensland or whether seeds pass undamaged through the
digestive tracts of seed-feeding birds. McAdam (pers. comm. 1998) reports
that seedlings have been observed to establish upstream of parent plants
growing along a watercourse. This may suggest dispersal by animals such as
birds."

http://www.nrm.qld.gov.au/pests/psas/pdfs/Bellyache.pdf

7.07

No evidence

7.08

it is not known to what extent this occurs in Queensland or
whether seeds pass undamaged through the digestive tracts of seed-feeding
birds.

(1) AB: " Prolific seedling emergence can occur for at least
four years following destruction of mature plants. There is anecdotal
evidence that a small proportion of seeds remain viable for 15 years."
(2)AB: "Bellyache bush seeds were recorded across all soil depths, reaching
a peak of 3.8 million seeds per hectare at 1-5 cm soil depth. "

AB: "Application of 0.25-1.50 kg a.i. 'Arsenal' (imazapyr)/ha
gave most satisfactory control of weeds in non-crop situations such as
roadsides. The higher rates gave a quick knock-down effect on some weeds and
death rates were high. The lowest rate gave complete kill of most of the
weeds but at a slow rate. Jatropha gossypifolia, Theprosia purpurea and
Croton sparsiflorus were some of the woody and semiwoody annual weeds which
were completely killed and no regeneration could be noted within 2 months of
its application. "

AB: "A study was undertaken to quantify the susceptibility
of bellyache bush (J. gossypiifolia ) plants cut off using a brush-cutter at
different heights above ground (0, 10, 20 and 40 cm), during either summer
or winter, in Queensland, Australia [date not given]. Uncut plants acted as
controls. "; " No plants survived if cut off at ground level, irrespective
of season. With cutting at 10 cm, 100% mortality was still achieved during
summer, but 40% of winter-cut plants survived. Thereafter, survival
increased with increasing height of cutting, with plants more susceptible
when actively growing in summer. Winter off-cuts that were stacked in piles
were viable 12 months after cutting and a few at the bottom of the piles
grew adventitious roots, despite being disconnected from any direct supply
of water or nutrients. The susceptibility of bellyache bush to cutting near
ground level in summer suggests that the use of tractor-mounted slashers
should be investigated as a control option for treating infestations